Abstract
In this paper we argue that industrial accidents are the end- results of long chains of events that start with decisions at management level. Often these decisions create latent failures, which may remain hidden for a long time. Erroneous plans are not easily avoided on the shop floor, once they are invited by operational conditions replete with latent failures. However, the removal of latent failures requires a more thorough understanding of how they shape behaviour, than is provided by our current insights in cognition.